152 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



POSSIBILITIES IN DAIRYING. 

 By Prof. Ivan C. Weld, Durham, N. H. 



In response to your cordial invitation I am glad to meet with 

 you once more and speak to you, and discuss with you matters 

 pertaining to our common interests as dairymen. 



Coming to you at this time direct from one of the most enthusi- 

 astic meetings ever held by our Granite State Dairymen's Asso- 

 ciation, I shall hope to bring you good cheer and greater encour- 

 agement for future work. It is indeed encouraging in these 

 days that dairymen can meet in such organizations as we now 

 have and work together for a common object. 



The upbuilding of our industry has required much toil and 

 study and represents the best work of many men, and today we 

 can look forward with confidence to the future, realizing that 

 possibilities will eventually become realities if the present rate 

 of progress is only maintained. We cannot, however, by the 

 stroke of a pen increase the productive capacity of our farms or 

 dairy animals, neither can we improve the quality of our products, 

 or lessen the expense of production. These things can only be 

 brought about by patient study and toil. It has been said that 

 "Curiosity is the mother of all knowledge," but be that as it may 

 we do know that "Knowledge is power." 



I have not come to this meeting, however, with the expectation 

 of being able to impart any new and wonderful truths, but I 

 have come "nurturing a hope" that I will be able to say some- 

 thing that may cause some to think — think of their present 

 condition and standing as dairymen, and think of some way by 

 which they will overcome the obstables in their pathway, some 

 way in which they can and will improve their methods and 

 thereby improve their farms and increase their profits. There 

 is a vast amount of difference between what a man can do and 

 what a man will do. When a man has been successful for a 

 series of years in any given line of work there is always some- 

 thing to be learned from studying his peculiar methods. There 

 is no such thing as permanent success without a reason for it. 



